The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-09-08
Law and Precedent as to Third
Terms.

elected to the Governors Office, and
no man has been elected for two con-
secutive terms
The rule of rotation in the Office of
the Chief Executive in Louisiana has
been more than traditional; until 1864
it was embodied in the organic law of
the commonwealth. The Constitution
of 1912, the first Constitution of this
State, declared Article III, section 8:
"The Governor shall be ineligible for
the succeeding four gears after the
expiration Of the time for achich he
shall haze been elected"
Identically the same provision is
found in the Constitution of 1845
little III, Art. Al, and in the Con-
stitution of 1852 little III, Art. 3S).
1t was never out of the Constitution
until 1864, being omitted for the first
time in the instrument framed by the
convention presided over by Judge
Durrell. It was restored in the Con-
stitution of 1868 title III, Art. SOY,
but was stricken out by an amend
mend in 1870.
Eligibility for even taoo consecutive
terms was, therefore, a Republican
Innovation From the admission OF
Louisiana to the Union until the year
before the close of the war of seces-
sion, it was held to be impolitic and
dangerous to their liberties by the
people to permit any citizen, however
great his ability or however conspic-
uous his service, to occupy the Gov
ernor's Office for more than four years
without interruption, SO great was
their opposition to the undemocratic
tendency Of long or indefinite pos
session of the appointing power. But
If they regarded 1T unsafe to allo,c
taoo consecutive terms, hoac preposter-
osss soouEd they haze held the proposal
to elect GoUernor for a third term
Such has been the dominant senti-
ment of the American people from
the first. Although the Constitution
Of the United States does not pre-
scribe the number of terms for which
a candidate may be eligible to the
Presidency, the uniform ptactice OF
the country for one hundred years
has fixed the limit at two. General
Grant, alone of all the Presidents,
sought third term, and it was re-
fused to him.
When, in its issue of yesterday
morning, the Times-Democrat said,
"The people of the United States
never accused that great representa-
tive of Democratic ideas, Thomas
Jefferson, of third termism because
they chose him once as Vice President,
and twice afterward as President" il
wandered far from the point. If the
President had died while Jefferson
was Vice President parallel might
have been established, but such was
not the case If Mr.. Arthur had been
nominated and elected to the Presi-
dency in 1884, and if he had not died
audit were proposed to elect him again
in 1883, then the Times-Democrat
could find in his history precisely the
precedent it needs. Mr.. jefferson
was never President, and never dis
pensed the patronage Of the Presi-
dents Office, until he succeed Mr..
Adams.
| The limit fixed by the common
sense of the people is eight years for
| a Chief Executive. HGov. McEnery
should be reelected, and live to the
end of the term, he would occupy the
Office of Chief Executive of this State
for more than ten years-nearer
eleven years than ten.
To make SO striking an exception in
his case would be as unnecessary as
unprecedented, and in Judgment ii
would be fraught with danger both to
the Democratic party and to the State
of Louisiana. He has already SO in.
trenched himself in Office by the use
of patronage that some men doubt
whether even a large majority can
force him ont If his ,,oc1tion